


Baby, Oh Baby

by takemyopenheart



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Love, Pregnancy, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:00:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24417022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takemyopenheart/pseuds/takemyopenheart
Summary: Luz’s recent behavior has Ethan very suspicious. If his suspicions are correct, will this ultimately change the rest of their lives? And will they be ready for it?
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart), Ethan Ramsey/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 16





	Baby, Oh Baby

"Ooh! I got a big chunk of caramel!" Ethan heard Luz shout from the living room.

He removed the popcorn bag from the microwave, steam drifting out as he opened the bag to pour out the popped kernels into the bowl.

"More sugary junk incoming," he called out, making his way back to the living with Jenner in tow and plopped down beside Luz on the sofa.

She sat wrapped in a fuzzy throw blanket, licking the caramel ice cream from her spoon as she continued watching the film playing on the laptop screen. "Come here, baby," she cooed, patting her lap for Jenner to lay his head on. The fawn-colored Chinook leaped onto the sofa before getting comfortable next to Luz and laying his head on her lap.

Ethan set the bowl in between him and Luz, watching Jenner steal all her attention. He had been more affectionate towards her as of recently, and that only raised his suspicions even more.

"Do these have extra butter?" she asked, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl and adding them into her own bowl of ice cream.

"No, I thought we could ease off on the extra fat," he replied, grabbing a few before popping them into his mouth.

"Are you calling me fat?!" she glared at him.

_Shit. Abort mission! Abort mission!_

"Of course not!" He rested his hand on her lap, which Jenner licked affectionately. "Too much is unhealthy, we’re doctors. We should know better. Sweetheart, I didn’t mean to offend you." He gently caressed her skin with his thumb.

"Maybe you’re right," she said with slumped shoulders as she looked down at her popcorn-filled caramel ice cream bowl.

Ethan’s throat tightened staring at her fallen expression. _Nice going, asshole._ Removing the bowl between them to avoid a spill, he set it on the coffee table and turned to her. "Sweetheart, look at me."

Her forlorn face turned towards him, making his heart skip a beat as her sad brown eyes met his. He leaned into her, pressing his lips onto hers. Her body was stiff, but ultimately, she melted into the kiss. When the deep kiss was over, he left a gentle peck on her forehead. "I love you," he softly spoke, holding her chin.

"I love you, too. I know that’s not what you meant. I’m just...I haven’t been feeling all too great," she said, avoiding his eyes.

He would move mountains for her if he could. He hated seeing her like this. He had his own suspicions as to why that was the case and why her mood had recently altered. After all, he _was_ a doctor. He was new to this, only having been involved from a doctor’s point of view, but that didn’t mean he didn’t recognize the signs.

She had been eating more and complained of her jeans fitting too tightly. A few days ago she had become nauseous, though she blamed that on the dinner they ate not sitting well in her stomach, her usual peppy energy had diminished, she was getting less sleep, and she complained of muscle aches. With each passing day, he grew more and more convinced that what she was experiencing were pregnancy symptoms.

The first couple of times he noticed them, he chalked it up to stress concerning a recent patient of hers who was dealing with stage four cancer. It was a case that hit close to home, her own grandmother had passed from the debilitating illness only a few years ago. It was something she was still dealing with, and though he tried to get her to open up about it, she refused. Every time he brought it up, she would muster an all too obviously forced smile. Which is why he wanted today to be as relaxing for her as possible. It was rare when they could just sit back and unwind. She wanted to eat junk food and watch a movie, and that’s exactly what they did.

Picking up her bowl of ice cream that she had placed on the table, he scooped up a big amount with the spoon and fed it to her before grabbing a spoonful for himself. "Wow. This is good." She immediately relaxed and kissed his cheek.

"Do you want a massage?" He asked her as Jenner followed the scent of the popcorn and ice cream on the coffee table.

"Yes, please." She smiled, but he noticed this to be a genuine smile and that brightened his spirits.

She turned her back to him, moving her long dark hair to the side, and his rough hands began kneading the muscles of her shoulders.

"Oh, my god. Ah, yeah, right there," she moaned, throwing her head back, which he would be lying if he said it didn’t cause a tightening in his lower region.

"Mmm, yeah, feel good?" he whispered into her ear followed by a tender kiss on her exposed neck, which sent shivers up her spine.

"You’re always good at this." She let out another loud moan which caused Jenner’s ears to perk up, and he got up on the sofa in front of her, nuzzling his face on her lap again.

Ethan continued the massage on her neck, looking down at Jenner whose little nose sniffed at Luz’s fingers that were stroking his stomach. This would be the perfect opportunity to bring it up again, he thought. Perhaps she was wary because of what he’d said about not seeing kids in his future. Admittedly, the prospect of raising a family had never been something he considered. He didn’t want to be an absent father, and that didn’t mix well with being a workaholic. But the more he fell for and let Luz into his life, the more he slowly realized that life often had sweet surprises.

Luz had been one of those sweet surprises, and he wouldn’t trade this life for any other. If that other sweet surprise consisted of a baby, he couldn’t think of a better woman to be the mother to his children.

"He’s been stuck to your hip recently, haven’t you noticed?"

"Hm, yeah. Because he loves me, don’t you, Jenner boy." she said in a song song voice, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

_Okay, plan B. Or maybe that’s not the appropriate term to use in this context._

"Luz, the reason I bring this up is because, well, I’ve been noticing some things..." he trailed off, hoping she understood what he was trying to say.

She remained still, but the sudden change in her body language was unmistakable. She visibly tensed, not uttering a word, so he continued.

"Your mood’s changed. Remember when you got nauseous the other day?"

At that, she turned her whole body around to face him. Her face was unreadable. Her lips parted to speak, but nothing came out.

"Luz..." He reached out, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Darling, is there something you’re not telling me? I’m not mad, but this is something we have to talk about. I want honesty between us, don’t shut yourself off from me."

"What are you trying to say?" she finally said, for the first time meeting his eyes.

"Are you pregnant?" The words felt different as he heard himself say them aloud. This was the first time he’d asked her such a question, and her eyes widened in surprise.

He expected a confession as soon as she exhaled a long, deep sigh.

"I don’t _feel_ pregnant."

Her answer took him by surprise, but he continued. "Your symptoms say otherwise."

He didn’t ask her about missing a period because she was on birth control, so her cycle was often irregular.

"I will admit I’ve been feeling drained, but I never attributed it to...being pregnant..." She could barely get the words out, and the calm tone in her voice soon turned worried. "I-I don’t think I am...am I?"

All Ethan could think to do was wrap his arms around her. He held her tight as she held on to his shoulders. "It’s gonna be okay. Hey, look at me." He cupped her face again. "It’s okay. I love you, you know that."

It took a few moments for his words to sink in, but she drew in a long breath, exhaling slowly as he looked at her with such adoration she wanted to cry.

Luz had thought about someday possibly having kids, but when she learned Ethan didn’t see that in the cards for himself, she gave up that idea because she loved him, and she knew she’d be happy regardless. He was all she needed, she accepted it. And it was because of that that they never discussed it.

She sat there thinking how this could’ve happened. Okay, she _knew_ how it happened, but now she cursed herself for being so careless. She was a doctor for crying out loud. She knew unprotected sex resulted in pregnancy. But she had been on the pill, so she never gave it a second thought. Now, she realized, they’d both been stupid. Of course this was bound to happen.

"I love you, too, but...Ethan, is this something you really want?"

"I support you no matter what happens. I’m here for you, you’re not alone in this, all right?"

She suddenly threw her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his. Jenner immediately became excited and stood on his paws, trying to get in between them.

"I love you, too, boy!" Ethan scratched the panting Chinook’s head.

"But before anything, I think I should run down to the drugstore really quickly. Just to be sure."

"I’ll come with you."

They returned home in less than thirty minutes, and Luz bolted to the bathroom as soon as they stepped inside. Ethan sat on the bed of their bedroom, waiting with a pounding heartbeat. He knew they’d be okay, but he still felt nerves get the better of him. He would respect whatever she decided, he would never leave her side.

Luz sat on the toilet with the Clear Blue pregnancy test in her hand. She couldn’t help her hand from shaking, her heartbeat was in her throat. This could ultimately change the rest of her life. Or perhaps not. Whatever happened, she was grateful to have Ethan by her side.

As soon as she was done with her business, she set the two pregnancy tests down on the counter. She made her way back out and found Ethan sitting on the bed with his arms resting on his bouncing knees. As soon as their eyes met, his knees stopped bouncing, and he was about to stand up before she stopped him and sat down next to him.

"We’ll know in three minutes." She rested her head against his shoulder, and he leaned in, holding her left hand with his. "Are you okay?"

"Nervous, I can’t lie," he spoke quietly. "But like I said, I’m with you no matter what happens."

"I can hear your heartbeat, Ethan. I know I’m not the first person to say this under these circumstances, but these are the longest three minutes of my life."

He drew in a deep breath, resting his head on hers.

"So, waiting on pregnancy results isn’t exactly what you saw in your future, was it?" she said with a half-hearted chuckle.

"No, but can I be honest with you?"

She lifted her head up, staring into his piercing blue eyes. God, she never tired of looking into them. "Mhm?" she mumbled, unsure what he was about to say.

_Two minutes..._

"I don’t regret this. I may not have been open to the idea of kids at first, but...—" he brushed a strand of hair away from her face "—if this is something you would want, I’d be more than delighted to raise a family with you."

She felt her breath being taken away from her. There was sincerity in the way he spoke and looked at her. "R-really?"

"Yes. I’m not saying this to pressure you into anything, but since we’re already this far into it, I just thought I’d tell you. If not right now, maybe someday if you’d like."

_One minute..._

Her grin widened, and she pressed her face into his chest, smelling the musky cologne she grew fond of. They stayed like that for the next few moments before the alarm on her phone alerted them that the time had come.

Their heartbeats accelerated again. "Well, here goes nothing." She stood up, pulling Ethan behind her. "Should we look at them at the same time?" she asked him as they stood at the threshold of the bathroom.

"Okay," he agreed, and they stepped further in, making sure not to look directly at the tests yet.

"On the count of three, we’ll look," she declared, and he nodded in agreement.

His palms were sweaty. This was it. She faced him, her own sweaty palms gripping his, and she began counting.

"One...two...three..." She turned around. Following her gaze, he looked down at the plastic tubes resting on the counter. They both confirmed the same thing.

Negative.

It took them a couple of more seconds to let the results sink in. They continued staring down at them in silence. He squeezed her hand tighter as he looked at her, trying to read the thoughts currently going through her head.

Her expression seemed surprised at first, followed by confusion when her brows furrowed. She moved to pick them up, narrowing her eyes at the straight negative line on both tiny screens.

"You okay, Luz?" He couldn’t find the right words to say, she seemed saddened, and that hurt him more than anything.

"...Yeah...you know what?"—she finally turned around, facing him with a wide smile—"I am," she said, taking a deep breath. "I just realized something."

"And what is that?"

"What you said back there, it made me realize that _I_ do want this. And I made it a point to not be too disappointed if these were the results because now I know we both want this. And this time, we can both take the time to plan it out. We’re both still young and healthy, so I know it’ll happen when it’s meant to happen."

His own smile spread as he looked down at her. He rested his forehead against hers, suddenly relaxed and comforted by the fact that she saw them raising a family in the future. He would’ve been okay with just having her by his side, but now that they’d seriously considered the possibility of having a family, it made him happier than ever.

"We’ll take it one day at a time," he said, soothing her back. "Hey, at least we’ll have fun trying."

She drew him into a tight embrace again and giggled against his neck. "Oh, yes, we will."

They walked back towards the living room, and Ethan walked into the kitchen to get started on dinner. She stared at his long, lean frame as he made his way around the kitchen, eyes furrowed in concentration as he chopped up some vegetables.

"So, I was just thinking about it...and I think there is something I haven’t really talked to you about," she started, and he fixed his gaze on her, giving her his full attention.

When he learned of the results, he knew he’d been right all along. It had been the stress that had been eating at her. Though he dared not bring it up to her just yet. He wanted to give her time to come to him with whatever it was that was bothering her. If she didn’t, he would help her open up. She couldn’t continue holding this in any longer.

"I’m all ears." He stopped what he was doing and both took a seat on the kitchen stools.

"It’s Mrs. Harley." He could sense she was trying not to break down, so he held her hand, not saying anything and just let her speak at her own pace. "It’s just not fair. She’s such a sweet woman...It’s so hard putting a smile on my face as soon as I step into her room." She stuttered, letting the tears flow freely down her cheeks. "She’s so much stronger than I am. She’s deteriorating as the days go by, and there’s nothing I can do about it—" She broke down. Tears blurred her sight when she felt the familiar strong arms wrap around her shoulders. She let the stream of tears fall.

"Let it out," he whispered, and that’s just what she did. She couldn’t hold it in anymore. Since she’d gotten to know Mrs. Harley, she’d grown fond of her. She was such a kind-hearted woman. Soft spoken and always with a smile on her face regardless of the pain she was going through. So much a reminder of her abuelita (grandmother).

"I’m trying, I really am. I’m a doctor. I’m supposed to be strong for them, but with her...it’s just hard. I see my abuelita’s face, I can’t help it."

"I understand. I want you to know something; what you’re feeling is not a weakness. Got that? We’re doctors because we care. We want the absolute best for our patients. She doesn’t deserve what’s happening to her. Your abuela didn’t deserve what happened to her, but you never left her side, and I know she was grateful. Mrs. Harley is grateful that you’re there for her, too. Every time you walk into her room, her face just lights up. I’ve seen it. And not just her, but all your patients. You have that gift, Luz. It’s okay to cry and be sad about it. It doesn’t make you weak."

She sniffled as the tears slowed, and she allowed his words to comfort her. It would take time, but she knew he was right. She felt relieved that what she felt wasn’t a sign of weakness.

"But can you promise me something?" he asked her, and she mumbled an answer against his chest.

"Start taking care of yourself. I don’t want to see you end up getting sick. I’m here whenever you want to talk about anything. Don’t hold it in, don’t let it affect your mental or physical health."

She knew he was right. Her health was important if she wanted to continue being there for her patients. But she wouldn’t be doing it just for them, but for herself too.

"I will. I promise. It won’t be easy, but I’m doing it for them as much as I’ll be doing it for myself."

They shared another kiss before Ethan lifted his shirt to wipe her tears and snot away. She felt at peace. She stared at him with a smile on her face. He was perfect, snot-covered shirt and all. He returned her smile and moved around the kitchen again. There was comfortable silence.

Things would be okay, they were sure of it. Whatever obstacle came their way, they’d find a way through because they were strong individuals who would be there for one another every step of the way.


End file.
